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Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery

Tuesday, July 24, 2012
An inspiring, bittersweet love story about making every day count.
Bryce remembers it like it was yesterday. The scent of chlorine. The blinding crack and flash of pain. Blood in the water.
When she wakes up in the hospital, all Bryce can think of is her disastrous Olympic diving trial. But everything is different now. Bryce still feels seventeen, so how can her little sister be seventeen, too? Life went on without her while Bryce lay in a coma for five years. Her best friend and boyfriend have just graduated from college. Her parents barely speak. And everything she once dreamed of doing—winning a gold medal, traveling the world, falling in love—seems beyond her reach.
But Bryce has changed too, in seemingly impossible ways. She knows things she shouldn’t. Things that happened while she was asleep. Things that haven’t even happened yet. During one luminous summer, as she comes to understand that her dreams have changed forever, Bryce learns to see life for what it truly is: extraordinary.

Goodreads Summary


Bryce was once an amazing swimmer, but she wakes up from a coma years after a dive gone wrong.  She can only think that she could have been an Olympian instead of recovering in a hospital.  Years of her life were lost due to her accident, Bryce and the reader navigate adjusting to a new life where her friends are not as she remembered and her family has changed. 

Bryce's boyfriend is now dating her best friend...and they are planning a wedding and want Bryce to be part of the wedding part.  The pair's relationship might not be quite as solid as Bryce's best friend had assumed, because Bryce's former boyfriend is acting odd.  Bryce's younger sister is now older and has changed in both appearance and philosophy.  Carter, a young medical student, has caught Bryce's eye, but is she ready for love?  For the most part, Bryce remains very calm and collected.  She must learn what happened while she was gone while looking forward to a hopeful future, but is the future in reach, or is there yet another surprise for Bryce? 

Bryce is a very easy-going character.  She works hard and want to maintain the peace.  During the novel, she catches up to speed more than anything else.  She does explore the possibility of a relationship with Carter, the type of guy that will have the reader swooning.  Greg, Bryce's former boyfriend, leaves her confused more than anything.  He sends out mixed signals throughout the book while Gabby, Bryce's best friend, remains unaware.  The plot itself was unique.  There is a little bit of magic mixed in with a heavy dose of realism.  The reader will grow very attached to Bryce and likely want the best for her.  Romance, mystery, fantasy, and realism mix together to form a young adult/teen novel that will stick with the reader long after setting the book down. 

4 Stars

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This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

14 comments:

  1. Denise Z said...:

    This is not my normal read, but I am definitely intrigued. I am going to hop over and check out more because now I want to know what happens :) Thank you for sharing this interesting read with us today.

  1. And you buy all these books you read? I`m interested because then you`d have to have a huge library :D
    The cover of this book is just gorgeous :D

  1. I buy most of them-this one was in ARC form, but I already have it preordered :)

  1. WOW! the cover art is absolutely gorgeous!! And this sounds like somethin g I might like. I have a soft spot for protagonists who are athletes. Yes, I'm weird that way! :)
    This sounds like something I might like.

  1. clenna said...:

    This has always made me wonder how those waking up from a coma adjust to a new life. Their life has stood sill and everyone else has moved on. Are you bitter, angry, calm,or confused.

    Clenna at aol dot com

  1. Wow, this is the first I am hearing of this book and it sounds amazing. Great review, adding it to my TBR right now!!!

  1. Lili said...:

    At first glance, I found this cover to be extremely interesting. When I studied it more, I took my opinion back. The girl in the water is bent at such an odd angle that is not the least bit attractive. However, I'm glad you enjoyed this story. I'm all about making everyday count, so this seems like a book for me.

  1. Pam said...:

    I had not heard of this book before, but it sounds really good. Great review!

  1. joannie said...:

    Hey this sound just like my kind of read. Thanks for the review going now to check it out. Joannie

  1. Great review! This books sounds different than those that I normally read. Cool!

  1. Unknown said...:

    Sounds interesting and a little different than books I usually pick. I do think I might like it. I can't imagine how weird that would be. Thanks for sharing!

  1. Sophia said...:

    this book sounds amazing! i'm so glad you liked it. the cover is gorgeous.

  1. This one sounds interesting - though I'd probably have to wait until after the Olympics to read it. I'm always scared the divers are going to hit the board (and I'm not sure reading this concurrently would help)!

  1. Cyn said...:

    Sounds wonderful. I would hate for something like that to happen to me.